A dream for developers, a nightmare
for the needy

The scenes depicted in these pictures are becoming ever
more typical of Swiss cities. At present (September 2010) we get the
feeling that there is a recession, but the property market is actually
booming. Older buildings are being torn down to make way for up-market
developments aimed at the affluent. And there seem to be plenty of
well-heeled people around who are willing and able to pay 4000 to 6000
Swiss francs rent for a fancy three-bedroom apartment. Time was when the
inner cities were a cheap place to live for the less well-off, old
people existing on meagre pensions and low-paid foreign workers. The
city agglomerations were home to ordinary hard-working families who
could afford to live reasonably comfortably as long as they kept within
their budget. Not any longer! Older properties that once housed these
sections of society are being snapped up by property developers whose
social conscience (or lack of it) allows the less wealthy to be evicted
and their close-knit societies torn apart as they are forced to seek
affordable areas well outside city limits.

The city of Zug, where these pictures were
taken, is no exception. People who have lived here for years are moving
out because they simply can no longer afford to pay the rent from two
normal working wages, let alone just one, not to mention buying a home
of their own. But let’s not push all the blame on to enterprising
entrepreneurs. Despite the high volume of new construction, the
percentage of empty apartments is very low. Add to this, well-qualified,
high-earning newcomers, many from Germany, are moving in and so it’s
little wonder that prices have risen so dramatically.